Pick shaft assembly



Jan. 3, 1950 LAKE ET AL 2,493,631

PICK SHAFT ASSEMBLY Filed May 4, 1948 INVENTORS. FRANCIS GERARD LAKE EVERETT H. ASHTON ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1950 PICK SHAFT AS SEMBLY Francis Gerard Lake, New York, N. Y., and EverettH. Ashton, Jersey City, N. 3., assignors to The M. W. Kellogg Company, Jersey City, N. J a corporationof'Delaware Application May 4, 1948 Serial No; 25,028

nectionto a picker stick. As the projecting part or nose of the pick cam revolves, it strikes the a cam follower and forces it upwardly. This in turn throws the crank arm nearest the picker stick inward and'thereby draws the picker stick towardsthe loom. The picker stick, by meansof the force with which it is drawn in, delivers a blow to the shuttle sufficient to send it across the loom and into the opposite box. After the shuttle has entered the opposite box, a pick motion 'ofexactly the same construction will then throwit backagain across the loom.

Oneobject of the present invention is to prowide a new and improved pick shaft assembly which is designed and constructed to eliminate 'need for accurate alignment of the shaft mounting brackets-thereof.

Another object is to provide a new and improved pick shaft assembly having a pick shaft adjustable to eliminate end play therein caused by wear resulting from the thrust forces on said shaft incident toipicking action.

A further object is to provide a new and improved pick shaft assembl provided. with spring control for the cam follower to bias said follower against the activesurface 0f the pick cam.

Another object is to provide a new and im-- proved pick shaft assembly of unit design to afford ease of assembly.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved pick shaft assembly affording better bearing design and permitting thereby the pick shaft assembly H of the present invention but-it must be understood that the pick shaftassembly 4 on the left-hand loomside issimilar in construe- =65 (CL. Y139--147 tion. The loomside may be of the conventional single frame: plate type or'may be of the improvedtypeshcwn'in czopending application .Serial No.- 691,237, filedAugust 17,,1946, inwhich each loomside comprisesalprair of parallel upright webs l2 and it as shown, suitably braced andinterconnectedat the hott-oml by a base plate M.

The: pick shaft assembly H comprises-a horizontalbearingrod l5, the endsof which-are supported in respective mounting brackets lB-.,and l 'l secured to the'outer frame plate l3. Concentrically encircling the bearing rod [5 is a tubular pick shaft l8 having'at its ends respective bushings '20 and Z1 press-fitted into'or otherwise secured'to said shaft forrotation therewith and embracing the rod l5 with bearing rotative fits. The bushings Zfland 2| are provided with outer end flanges Hand 23 respectively, bearing against the correspondingends of thevpick shaft l8.

The bracket It is in the form of a block andis removahly secured to the outer frame plate l3 by screw studs 24 threaded into nuts (not shown) aifixedto the inner-face of said frame plate and having'respective heads 25. Thestud heads extend within stud holes 26. and are hexagonally shaped toreceive a suitable turning tool such as of a block and is removably secured to the outer 1 atone end of the thrust bearing 32 extends at least partially into a recess 34 on one side of the (mounting bracket l1 and presents a-fiat bearing surface 35against which the flange 23 of the bushings 2| is thrustv At the other end, the thrust hearing'32 has a head 31 projecting outwardly from the-mountingbracket l1 and shaped to receive a suitable turning tool. For that purpose, the bearing head is shown with cross-slots 38 into which a turning. tool in the form of *a screw-driver may extend.

rotated for adjustment. After the thrust bearing 32 has been turned into the desired adjusted position, it is set in this position by turning the stud M in the proper direction to increase the clamping action of the bracket IT.

The tubular shaft l8 has integral therewith near one end, a tubular crank arm 50 passing substantially horizontally through an opening in the frame plate l3 and carrying at its outer end 7 a pick cam follower 5|. shown in the form of a roller engaging the pick cam (not shown) and provided with a periphery having a convex profile in an axial direction. The

- cam follower 5| is supported on an axle threaded into the crank arm 5|! and the crank arm is longitudinally split and has on opposite sides of its split a pair of opposed flanges 52 through which a bolt 54 passes. Through the bolt 54 the axle supporting the cam follower 5| may be locked in an position of adjustment Of the cam follower with respect to the pick cam.

Near the other end, the tubular shaft l8 has integral therewith a tubular crank arm 69 depending therefrom. The crank arm 60 is longitudinally split and has on opposite sides a pair of opposed flanges 65 through which bolt 56 passes. A member (not shown) is adapted to slide within arm 60 to connect arm 60 to a lug stick and a lug strap (not shown) or any other suitable connection with the picker stick (not shown). Bolt '66 may be locked in any position 'of adjustment of the slidable member with respect to the picker stick.

Aooil spring Bl encircling the pick shaft I8 between the crank arm 50 and the mounting bracket I6 has one end anchored to said mounting bracket and the other end secured to said shaft and biasses said shaft rotatively in a direc-- tion to urge the cam follower 5| against the pick cam.

In the operation of the pick motiomas the toe or projecting part of the pick cam rides in engagement with the cam follower 5|, it rotates the pick 'shaft I8 at highly accelerated speed through the crank arm 50 carrying said cam follower. This moves the other crank arm 6t inwardly towards the loomside and causes the picker stick to hurl the shuttle across the loom.

It should be noted that in mounting the pick shaft 3 in position, no accurate aligning of the brackets I6 and I! is required, since the rod l5 acts as a bearing for said shaft and its inherent axial straight line integral structure assures proper aligning of the bearing supports at both 'ends of said shaft.

" The reactions of the pick cam on "the pick shaft l8 are such as to urge said pick shaft normally towards the left (Fig. 2) so that the flange 23 bears against the flange 33. As either or both of these flanges wear out, the thrust bearing 32 is adjusted, as already described, to take up this.

wear. It is seen therefore, that by this arrange- -ment, the position of the crank arm 50 remains constant, regardless of wear. This is important, since it is necessary that the position of the cam follower 5| with respect to the pick cam be not The cam follower is affected by wear in the thrust surfaces. The position of the crank arm also is unaffected by the wear of the thrust surfaces of flanges 23 and 33.

It should be noted that the entire pick shaft assembly I l including the pick shaft 8, the bearing rod I5, the thrust bearing 32 and the mounting brackets l6 and I! may all be connected together in a single unit, and the unit then mounted as such on to the frame plate l3, simply by screwing the studs 24, 3| and 4| in position. No alignment of bearings is necessary.

Also, it should be noted, that since the bearing supports for the pick shaft i8 are inside said shaft, the length of said shaft can be made materially less than is possible with outside bearing supports such as those in conventional pick shaft assemblies.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific embodiment, it

is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a bearing rod, bracket means for supporting the ends of said bearing rod against rotation and endwise movement and adapted to be mounted on a loomside, and a tubular pick shaft encircling said bearing rod and spaced therefrom and means supported on said bearing rod forrotation relative thereto spacing said pick shaft from said bearing rod and engaging said pick shaft for rotation therewith, said pick shaft having a crank arm for a pick cam follower and a crank arm for connection to a picker stick.

2. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a bearing rod, bracket means for supporting the ends of said bearing -rod against rotation and adapted to be mounted on a loomside, a tubular pick shaft encircling said bearing rod and having a crank arm for a pick cam follower and a crank arm for connection to a picker stick, and bearing bushings connected to the inside of said shaft near opposite 'ends thereof and embracing said rod with bearing 3. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination as described in claim 2, in which said bushings have annular outer end flanges abutting the outer ends of said pick shaft.

4. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a rod, a pair of brackets supporting the ends of said rod and adapted to be mounted on a loomside, a tubular pick shaft encircling said rod and supported thereon for rotation, said pick shaft having a crank arm for apick cam follower and a crank arm for connection to a picker stick, and a coil spring encircling said pick shaft and having one end anchored to one of said brackets and the other end secured to said pick shaft, said spring being arranged to bias said pick cam follower :crank arm towards V the pick cam.

5. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a pick shaft, means supporting said shaft for rotation and comprising a pair of mounting brackets near the opposite ends of said shaft adapted to be secured to a loomside, a thrust bearing threaded in one of said brackets coaxially with said shaft and acting to resist axial thrust on said shaft resulting from pick camming action on said shaft, said thrust bearing being axially adjustable by turning to take up play resulting from wear on surfaces in thrust bearing contact, said latter bracket being split on one side of said thrust bearing, whereby said bracket has a clamping action on said thrust bearing, and means passing through the split sections of said latter bracket for varying the clamping action of said latter bracket on said thrust bearing, whereby said thrust bearing may be loosened for adjustment or locked in adjusted position.

6. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a bearing rod, a pair of mounting brackets for supporting the ends of said bearing rod against rotation and adapted to be mounted on a loomside, a tubular pick shaft encircling said bearing rod and having a crank arm for a pick cam follower and a crank arm for connection to a picker stick, bearing bushings connected to the inside of said shaft near opposite ends thereof and embracing said rod with bearing fits, one of said bushings having an annular outer end flange abutting the corresponding outer end of said pick shaft, and a tubular thrust bearing for said shaft threaded into the mounting bracket nearest to the flanged bearing bushing and embracing the corresponding end of said rod with a slide fit for adjustment therealong, said thrust bearing having one end engaging said bushing flange and acting thereby to resist axial thrust on said shaft resulting from pick camming action on said shaft.

'7. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a bearing rod, means adapted to be mounted on a loomside supporting the ends of said rod against rotation and endwise movement, a tubular pick shaft encircling said rod and spaced therefrom, said pick shaft having a crank arm for connection to a picker stick, tubular bearing members at the ends of said shaft engaging said pick shaft for rotation therewith and contacting said rod for rotation relative thereto, and means on said rod and between the ends of said shaft and said supporting means engaging said tubular bearing members to prevent endwise movement of said shaft.

8. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a bearing rod, a pair of spaced mounting brackets, adapted to be mounted on a loomside, supporting the ends of said bearing rod against rotation and endwise movement, a tubular pick shaft encircling said bearing rod and spaced therefrom, said pick shaft having a crank arm for a pick cam follower and a crank arm for connection to a picker stick, flanged tubular bearing bushings fitting with the ends of said pick shaft for rotation therewith and encircling said rod for rotation relative thereto, and bearing means on said rod and fixed in position by said brackets adapted to bear on the flanges of said tubular bearing bushings to prevent endwise motion of said pick shaft and tubular bearing assembly.

9. In a pick shaft assembly for a loom, the combination comprising a bearing rod, a pair of spaced mounting brackets, adapted to be mounted on a loomside, supporting the ends of said bearing rod against rotation and endwise movement, a tubular pick shaft encircling said bearing rod and spaced therefrom, said pick shaft having a crank arm for a pick cam follower and a crank arm for connection to a picker stick, flanged tubular bearing bushings fitting into the ends of said pick shaft for rotation therewith and encircling said rod for rotation relative thereto, and bearing means on said rod and fixed in position by said brackets adapted to bear on the flanges of said tubular bearing bushings to prevent endwise motion of said pick shaft and tubular bearing assembly, said bearing means including a bearing member adjustably positionable along said rod to take up play resulting from wear on the surfaces of said bearing bushings and said bearing means in thrust bearing contact.

FRANCIS GERARD LAKE. EVERETT H. ASHTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,585,134 Van Hook May 18, 1926 1,659,858 Cooper Feb. 21, 1928 1,722,831 Wattie July 30, 1929 

